airBaltic passengers down 73% in 2020

 Latvian airline airBaltic in 2020 has carried 1 340 000 passengers or 73% less than the year before. In 2020, the airline performed 22 300 flights from all three Baltic states.

Martin Gauss, Chief Executive Officer of airBaltic: “2020 will go in history as the toughest year commercial aviation has yet seen. For most of the year, we were able to maintain essential connectivity for Riga and the Baltics. However, a significant part of the GDP drop in the region can be attributed to the fact that we are limited to fly. It is crucial for the future development of the Baltic region that airBaltic returns to its growth path following the successful control of the pandemic.”

“During the year 2020 we have certainly experienced our most difficult challenges but together with tremendous efforts and hard work we have ensured that airBaltic remains and continues its operation. We have given a clear commitment to grow back above old levels. Our vision sees airBaltic becoming a sustainable carrier in the EU aviation market, while maintaining a continuous growth path and innovative improvement of passenger experience,” Martin Gauss added.

	2020	2019	Change
Number of passengers	1 340 900	5 049 317	-73%
Number of flights	22300	62748	-64%
15-minute flight punctuality indicator	95%	86%	+9%-points
	December, 2020	December, 2019	Change
Number of passengers	54200	357723	-85%
Number of flights	1100	4786	-77%
15-minute flight punctuality indicator	96%	89%	+7%-points

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Emirates expands its operations in the Americas in line with increased passenger demand

Emirates has announced it will resume non-stop services to Seattle (from 1st February), Dallas and San Francisco (from 2nd March), offering its customers seamless connectivity via Dubai to and from popular destinations in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.

The addition of these three destinations will take Emirates’ North American network to 10 destinations following the resumption of services to Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York JFK, Toronto and Washington DC.

Flights to/from San Francisco will operate four times weekly on Emirates’ Boeing 777-300ER while flights to/from Seattle (operating four times weekly) and Dallas (three times weekly) will be operated with the two-class Boeing 777-200LR, offering 38 lie-flat seats in Business and 264 ergonomically designed seats in Economy class. 

Air travel down 60 per cent, as airline industry losses top $370 billion

 The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) said on Friday, that as seating capacity fell by around 50 per cent last year, that left just 1.8 billion passengers taking flights through 2020, compared with around 4.5 billion in 2019.

That adds up to a staggering financial loss to the industry of around $370 billion, “with airports and air navigation services providers losing a further 115 billion and 13 billion, respectively”, said ICAO in a press statement.

Grounded in March

As the coronavirus began its global spread, the air industry came to a virtual standstill by the end of March. Following widespread national lockdowns, by April the overall number of passengers had fallen 92 per cent from 2019 levels, an average of the 98 per cent drop-off seen in international traffic and 87 per cent fall in domestic air travel.

There was a moderate rebound during the summer travel period, but recovery was short-lived. “Sectoral recovery became more vulnerable and volatile again during the last four months of 2020, indicating an overall double-dip recession for the year”, ICAO said.

U.S. helicopters conduct unique training with Greek military

Photo by Staff Sgt. Garrett Dipuma

The U.S. Army’s 1st Battalion, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB), 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), together with Hellenic Armed Forces, executed Eddie’s Odyssey, a first of its kind, joint training mission on Velopoula Island and over the Aegean Sea, Jan. 13-14.

The exercise, named after Ugly Eddie, the battalion mascot, consisted of U.S. AH-64E Apaches, UH-60M and HH-60M Black Hawk helicopters working together with Hellenic 1st Aviation Brigade Apaches and CH-47D Chinook helicopters.The joint training encompassed transporting troops, aerial coverage operations and providing medical evacuation capabilities to Greek special operations forces (SOF), while they operated on objectives only accessible by traversing long distances over water.

“This exercise was really built from the ground up,” said Lt. Col. Anthony Marston, 1st battalion commander. “We had some time on our calendar and at the company level there were folks who were interested in doing over water training and some live fire exercises. Working with the Greeks, we were able to plan Eddie’s Odyssey, an air assault and deliberate attack exercise.”

German leisure carrier Condor is back at Leipzig/Halle Airport

Germany's most popular leisure airline will once again be offering connections from Leipzig/Halle Airport from January 30. 

This is Condor's response to the early winter vacations in Saxony. Twice a week, Condor will bring vacationers back to the Egyptian resort of Hurghada and fly to the Canary Islands three times a week: on Fridays to Tenerife, on Saturdays to Fuerteventura and on Sundays to Gran Canarias. On the islands, pleasant temperatures prevail even in winter and vacationers can enjoy sun, beaches and the sea. Journeys are immediately bookable with all German organizers, flight tickets are available as usual under www.condor.com, in the travel agency or by telephone.

Ralf Teckentrup, CEO of Condor: "The longing for vacation is great, as we can see from our flights to the Canary Islands, Cuba, the Dominican Republic or the Maldives. We are delighted that responsible travel is also possible again for our customers from Leipzig in time for the winter vacations - with guaranteed deserted beaches, sun and relaxation."

Götz Ahmelmann, CEO Mitteldeutsche Flughafen AG: "We are delighted that Condor is the first airline to return to the starting line after the forced break. The Canaries and Egypt are popular sun destinations right now. Condor is sending out an optimistic signal. We are convinced that demand for tourist flight connections will increase significantly beyond the winter vacations as soon as the travel restrictions fall."

More details and reservations can be made at Condors website here. 

Connections from Leipzig/Halle

Hurghada – Monday, Thursday

Tenerife – Friday

Fuerteventura – Saturday

Gran Canarias – Sunday

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Passenger traffic down 70% at Vinci Airports

 Passenger traffic down 70% in 2020 as a result of the global health crisis

Traffic penalised during the fourth quarter by new confinement measures in Europe

Improvement in trends at the end of the year in airports in the Americas and Japan

Passenger traffic in the VINCI Airports network was down 70% in 2020, with a total of 76.6 million passengers welcomed, versus 255 million in 20191, due to the global health crisis.

This situation is the result of strong travel restrictions put in place across the world to combat the spread of Covid-19. Network airports based in Europe and Asia, where restrictive measures were the most severe, reported sharper falls in traffic (around 72%) than airports in the Americas (around 61%).

Passenger traffic saw a rapid uptick in countries, such as the Dominican Republic, that lifted restrictions, reflecting still strong demand for mobility. Salvador airport (Brazil), Sanford Orlando (USA), Itami and Kobe (Japan) have also benefitted from some recovery in domestic travel starting in the summer of 2020. In Europe, the gradual uptick in traffic was cut short by the new restrictions put in place in the autumn.

FLYONE restarts flights to Moscow.

The Moldovan airline FLYONE has confirmed it has restarted flights to Moscow from its home base of Chisinau.   The flights restarted on Friday and will be initially operated once a week with fares down as 39 euros. 

The flights will be operated only once a week - on Friday, according to the following schedule:

- Chisinau (KIV) 10:00 - Moscow (VKO) 13:00

- Moscow (VKO) 14:00 - Chisinau (KIV) 15:00

There are certain rules for arrival in both counties and more details can be founf on the FLYONE site. 
 

AirAsia Thailand receives Tourism Authority of Thailand’s SHA certification

AirAsia Thailand, under the management of Thai AirAsia Company Limited, has received Amazing Thailand Safety & Health Administration (SHA) certification from executives of the Tourism Authority of Thailand and Department of Health and the Ministry of Public Health in an affirmation of the strict health and safety measures observed on its every flight. The certification acknowledges the measures put in place  to prevent the spread of COVID-19,  and help restore  consumer confidence to travel again.  

Sqn.Ldr. Damrong Phaspipatkul, Director of Flight Operations for AirAsia Thailand, said  “As one of Thailand’s most popular airlines, AirAsia Thailand places the  utmost importance on the health and safety of our staff and guests from the ground to the cabin. We are thrilled to receive this certification following numerous new processes and innovations that we have implemented over recent times to make flying not only safe and affordable, but also more hygenic and contactless at the same time.”

12 more KC-46A tankers for U.S. Air Force

Last week the U.S. Air Force pushed forward an order for 12 KC-46A tanker aircraft from Boeing. With this sixth production lot, Boeing is now on contract for 79 KC-46A tankers. 

The company delivered the first KC-46A to the Air Force in January 2019. Since then, Boeing has delivered 42 tankers to four different bases. The next-generation KC-46 brings new capabilities and operational flexibility to the U.S. Air Force and international customers.

Air New Zealand starting flights to Rarotonga

Air New Zealand has confirmed that services from Rarotonga to New Zealand after the recent announcement of a one-way quarantine-free travel route are to be started. This is the first step of the phased approach to two-way quarantine-free travel between the two nations.

Flights from the Cook Islands to New Zealand are on sale now and Air New Zealand looks forward to welcoming the first flight into Auckland on 21 January at 10:50am.

Air New Zealand will operate two flights per week, departing Rarotonga on Wednesdays and Saturdays using the airline’s A320 fleet.

Air New Zealand Chief Executive Officer Greg Foran says the airline is proud to be bringing our Rarotongan neighbours to New Zealand and making headway with two-way safe quarantine-free travel.

Cathay Pacific Cargo Develops Solution for Vaccine Distribution

The new quality-assured solution facilitates the fast and effective import and transhipment of COVID-19 vaccines worldwide

Cathay Pacific Cargo has built on its many years of experience in transporting pharmaceutical shipments to develop a vaccine solution specifically for the fast and effective distribution of COVID-19 vaccines across the globe.

Cathay Pacific Director Cargo Tom Owen said: “With our 20 dedicated freighters and cargo bellies of passenger aircraft supporting our extensive freighter network, we stand ready to assist with what will be the biggest humanitarian response to a situation involving civil aviation that anyone has ever seen.”

Ultra Track

Cathay Pacific Cargo is progressively rolling out Ultra Track as a key part of the vaccine solution. The next-generation track-and-trace system monitors information including temperature, GPS location, and humidity, using low-energy Bluetooth readers. This gives shippers and forwarders near real time visibility, and ensures vaccines will remain within their transportation temperature ranges.

Royal Air Force Chinooks conduct heavy lift operations in Mali

An RAF Chinook has delivered heavy equipment to extend French and Malian forces' operational range as part of Op Barkhane, the French counter insurgency operation in the West African Sahel region.

The recent operation saw a Chinook of 1310 Flight lift a large Air-portable Fuel Container to a Forward Operating Base to enable ground and air recces to operate at a greater distance from Gao. This operation required several days of planning before personnel from the Joint Helicopter Support Squadron and the crewman of the CH-47 were able to successfully under sling the container and transport it the 25 nautical miles to the camp.

The three Chinooks based in Gao, Mali that form 1310 Flt are currently operated by personnel from RAF Odiham based 27 Squadron RAF, together with supporting elements from the Tactical Supply Wing and Joint Helicopter Support Squadron.

“The UK’s contribution to the French mission, Op Barkhane, is important by providing heavy support helicopter lift. This enables French and Malian ground and aviation elements to operate at significant range and remain resupplied.

“The key to our success has been the full integration of 1310 Flt with the French GTD-A, and latterly, the Danish Aviation Detachment, to integrate our Chinooks with the Danish Merlin and French, Cougar, Puma Tiger, Gazelle and Caiman helicopters. 2020 saw the detachment maintain a high tempo of operational sorties that delivered strong support to the ongoing mission and is a testament to the skills and professionalism of all the personnel deployed here in Mali”

Lieutenant Colonel Steve Brining

UK National Component Commander

Condor puts winter flight schedule 2021/22 on sale

The German leisure carrier has put a little smile on the faces of German holidaymakers, who have been lacking options for travel last year because of the ongoing pandemic.  The popular leisure airline has released its flight schedule for the upcoming winter season. 

Condor will be taking off from Frankfurt in winter 2021/22 to 20 long-haul destinations, including twelve destinations in the Caribbean: in addition to Mexico, Cuba and Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Barbados, Grenada, Tobago and San Juan in Puerto Rico are also on the schedule. Tickets to the Cuban Varadero, for example, are available from 359.99EUR. And also the favorite goals in the Indian ocean are represented: It goes to the Seychelles and the Maldives as well as Mauritius. Africa fans get their money's worth in South Africa, Kenya and Tanzania. 

Travel with Condor can be booked with all German tour operators and at travel agencies, and flight tickets are available as usual at www.condor.com and by phone.

Connections from Frankfurt, now bookable

Air New Zealand - a year not so much in the air

While it was a year not so much in the air, there were no days in 2020 without an Air New Zealand flight taking to the skies.

Air New Zealand reflects on some of the numbers from a most extraordinary 2020.

During New Zealand’s Alert Level 4 lockdown, 67 of the airline’s aircraft were grounded, and by the end of 2020, the 15 strong Boeing 777 fleet had been sent to long term storage facilities in Auckland, Roswell, New Mexico and Victorville, California.

The Air New Zealand Contact Centre recorded its busiest day on 15 March. This followed the New Zealand Government announcement on 14 March that everyone entering New Zealand, except from the Pacific, would be required to self-isolate for 14 days. On top of email and chat options, calls from customers topped 75,000 compared to 9,900 calls received on the busiest day in 2019.

As borders around the world began to close, Air New Zealanders worked hard to keep flights going to bring almost 60,000 Kiwis home that had started a return international journey before New Zealand’s Alert Level 4 lockdown began.

IATA Welcomes US Pre-Departure Testing Order

IATA Welcomes US Pre-Departure Testing Order

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) welcomed the announcement by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that it will require all travelers to the US to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test undertaken within three days prior to their departure to the US.

“Systematic pre-departure testing is key to giving governments confidence to reopen markets without quarantine. Testing will ensure that at current infection levels, aviation will not become a meaningful vector of new transmissions in the US. Furthermore, IATA traveler surveys show that passengers strongly support and are willing to undergo testing,” said Douglas Lavin, IATA’s Vice President Member and External Relations, North America.

Volocopter wants to bring electric air taxi services to U.S. cities

Volocopter, the German air taxi start-up and “Pioneer of Urban Air Mobility (UAM),” announced today that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has positively accepted their application for concurrent Type Certificate validation on 22 December 2020. This sets the basis for Volocopter to bring their electric air taxi services to the American market. Volocopter is the first and only electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) company in the world with Design Organization Approval (DOA), the license to develop and build certified aircraft, from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). The company is currently in the process of receiving EASA Type Certification for their VoloCity aircraft. Volocopter is seeking FAA approval to enter the U.S. market concurrently with its EASA type certificate to accelerate its worldwide expansion.

Tokyo City showcase moves online for 2021

Along with many events over the past year, the 2021 edition of the Tokyo City Promotion Event is being moved online.

Between Tuesday 2nd and Thursday 4th February, some of the biggest players in Tokyo tourism will be hosting online seminars and presentations as well as Question & Answer sessions and even a lucky draw!

This event will provide attendees with a wealth of information on the latest situation and travel advice for Japan, explain the safety and mitigation efforts in place across Tokyo and show how the city plans to make the upcoming rescheduled 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games both safe and successful.

Participation in Tokyo City Promotion 2021 is free of charge but all attendees will need to pre-register.

To register simply fill out a short online form or visit the website below for further information.

Join us at Tokyo City Promotion 2021 and discover the charm of Tokyo.

For more information:

Tokyo City Promotion Website

 

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Jeff Martin, WestJet's Chief Operating Officer set to leave next month.

WestJet's Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer, Jeff Martin is leaving the Canadian airline from 26th February 26, 2021, the carrier announced this week.

Jeff will be returning to the U.S. to be with his family, the airline said in a statement. "After more than 31 years in the industry, February 26 will mark my retirement from airline operations and it is fitting that it is with the WestJet team," said Jeff Martin. "In my aviation journey, the last couple of years can be counted as some of the most rewarding. Together we have accomplished a lot, but the biggest accomplishment for me has been the acceptance, support and experiences I have shared with the best airline operational team in the industry. It has been an honour to lead this great team and proudly wear the WestJet uniform."

"We are very grateful for all that Jeff has done for our airline in his two and a half years including the successful launch of our Dreamliners, industry-leading on-time performance, the creation of a world-class Operations Control Centre and harmonious labour relations," said Ed Sims, WestJet President and CEO.

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UK closing all travel corridors from Monday

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced that the UK is to close all travel corridors from Monday, in an effort to "protect against the risk of as yet unidentified new Covid strains". At the daily press briefing, he also said: "It's vital to take these extra measures now when day-by-day we are making such strides in protecting the population."

The new rules will mean that anyone flying into the UK from overseas will have to show proof of a negative coronavirus COVID-19 test before departing for the UK and within 72 hours of travelling. Passengers will also need to fill out a passenger locator form, airlines will need to see proof of both before boarding and the fines for non-compliance will be substantial.  New arrivals will still need to self isolate for 10 days, or test on day 5, which will also need to be negative before people will be allowed out of quarantine. 

Mr Johnson also said the authorities would also be stepping up on checks both at the border and whilst in the country.  The rules apply across the UK. 

The Prime Minister said the new rules would be in place until at least 15 February.

 

ATI Boeing Accelerator Announces the 10 Startups Joining its Second Cohort, Geared Toward Sustainability

 

The latest startups to join the ATI Boeing Accelerator have been announced today with 10 companies joining the programme. The startups for the second cohort were selected from nearly 200 applications, from more than 40 countries and range from Hull to Queensland, and the US to Germany. Providing solutions for the aerospace industry such as software to support inflight medical events and emergencies and behavioural science technologies to reduce airlines’ greenhouse gas emissions.

To date, the nine companies that have been a part of the ATI Boeing Accelerator’s first cohort have raised over £8M, created more than 60 jobs, and received £1.2M in grant funding in the final quarter of 2020. They have gone on to partner with businesses including Rolls-Royce and Chevron Technology Ventures. Most recently, Intellegens, part of the first cohort to join the programme, has announced it is leading a new project in partnership with Boeing and the University of Sheffield, applying it’s machine learning technology to make the additive manufacturing (AM) process of metallic alloys for aerospace cheaper and faster, to support net-zero targets for aviation. 

Canada’s flight attendants are welcoming newly-appointed Transport Minister Omar Alghabra to his new post, and are urging him to take immediate action to support their industry

Canada’s flight attendants are welcoming newly-appointed Transport Minister Omar Alghabra to his new post, and are urging him to take immediate action to support their industry, which has been ravaged by COVID-19.

In a letter sent to Alghabra on Thursday, the President of the Airline Division of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), Wesley Lesosky, asks the new transport minister to work with labour to avoid more job losses in the sector.

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Enters Nepal with New Hotel in Central Kathmandu

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, the world’s largest hotel franchising company with approximately 9,000 hotels across 90 countries, continues to expand its global footprint with its entry into Nepal via the newly opened 90-room Ramada® Encore by Wyndham Kathmandu-Thamel.

Located in the center of Kathmandu, the capital and largest city in Nepal, the newly built hotel opened earlier this week and is part of a vibrant rejuvenation project of the city’s commercial center, close to top attractions and cultural wonders such as the base camp for Mount Everest, the Garden of Dreams, Ason Bazaar at Kathmandu Durbar Square and other popular destinations in the city.

This latest opening builds on Wyndham’s continued commitment to growth for the sub-Indian continent. With more than 50 properties currently in the Indian sub-continent, the opening of Ramada Encore by Wyndham Kathmandu-Thamel is another welcome footstep towards the Company’s continued expansion plans.

Air France Awarded 4-Star "COVID-19 Airline Safety Rating" By Skytrax

Air France has been certified with the COVID-19 Airline Safety Rating following the global audit conducted by the international air transport rating agency Skytrax. This audit, carried out in December 2020 on several Air France medium and long-haul flights, evaluates airlines' safety protocols, primarily the effectiveness and consistency of safety and hygiene measures implemented to protect customers and staff from COVID-19. These measures include the cleaning and disinfection procedures at the airport and on board aircraft, special signage and floor markings, physical distancing recommendations, compulsory wearing of masks and provision of hand sanitizer.

Air France, after obtaining a 4-star* rating, is already making improvements with a view to gaining a 5-star rating, and attain the highest COVID-19 Airline Safety Rating. 

Air France places the health and safety of its customers and staff at the heart of its concerns. Since the beginning of the Coronavirus crisis, the company has been rolling out the strictest health and hygiene measures both on the ground and on board to ensure a completely safe trip. As part of its "Air France Protect" commitment, these measures are regularly adapted in line with the changing health context. 

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SAS passenger numbers increase in December (But only compared to November!)

Almost 400,000 passengers flew with SAS during December, an increase of 18% compared to last month, but a decline by 80% year over year. At the same time SAS reduced its capacity by 6% compared to November, which corresponds to a reduction of 74% compared to last year. The load factor came in at 33%, an increase of some 8 percentage units (p.u.) compared to the previous month, but down 38 p.u. compared to last year. The increase in passengers and load factor compared to November is mainly driven by an increased demand for domestic travel during the holiday season.

“The overall demand continues to be heavily impacted by continued restrictions, with holiday travel significantly below normal levels in December. SAS continues to adapt its capacity according to the demand, that is expected to stay at low levels throughout the winter season. However, we’re encouraged by the recent vaccine developments and initiated COVID-19 vaccination programs, providing a foundation for a future normalization of our industry” says Rickard Gustafson, CEO SAS.

£76m contract boosts F-35 Lightning fleet support

Photo Crown Copyright

A £76 million aircraft support contract, supporting more than 170 jobs, will maximise the availability and capability of the UK’s F-35 Lightning stealth jets, ensuring they are ready for combat operations across the globe.

Signed by Lockheed Martin and the F-35 Joint Program Office, the Lightning Air system National Capability Enterprise (LANCE) contract will provide additional expertise on aircraft maintenance, bespoke UK training courses for pilots, ground crew and engineers, and logistical and technical support for the fleet.

Providing additional experienced technical personnel at existing facilities, the contract will also allow three new capabilities to come into operation. These include an ejection seat maintenance workshop, a ‘Pilot fit facility’ to fit aircrew equipment, and component spray facility to transfer coatings onto aircraft components.